The Ministry of Health and Community Protection launched a training program that is the first of its kind in the country, to enhance the scientific and practical capabilities and skills of 500 doctors from its cadres to provide smoking cessation services of all kinds and its derivatives in clinics inside the primary health care centers, based on a unified guide consistent with the latest methods and methods Available treatment worldwide.
The assistant undersecretary for the health centers and clinics sector, Dr. Hussein Al-Rand, pointed out that the training program to develop doctors ’skills in helping smokers to quit comes within the framework of continuous and continuous efforts by the ministry and relevant partners to reduce the percentage of smokers in the country, by benefiting from successful international experiences in plans and strategies.
He explained that the results of the National Health Survey 2017-2018 revealed that the percentage of adult smokers decreased by 18% since 2010.
Dr. Hussein pointed out the health consequences of smoking and its incidence of non-communicable diseases such as heart and arteries, cancer, diabetes, and mental illnesses, in addition to the economic burden that includes direct costs represented by increasing expenses on health care, and indirect costs represented in the low productivity of society due to early death rates And the spread of diseases.